WO2023223828A1

WO2023223828A1 - Connector

Info

Publication number: WO2023223828A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/017071
Authority: WO
Inventors: 里紗永縄
Original assignee: 住友電装株式会社
Priority date: 2022-05-20
Filing date: 2023-05-01
Publication date: 2023-11-23
Also published as: JP2023170806A

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that can be fitted smoothly, and is capable of producing a fitting sound in an appropriate manner.　A housing (20) comprises: a locking arm (28) that extends from a front end to a rear end in a fitting direction with a counterpart housing (100), is capable of elastic deformation in an intersecting direction that intersects the fitting direction, and is locked to the counterpart housing (100); an end surface (26) that is located facing a rear end portion of the locking arm (28) in the intersecting direction; a pair of side portions (39) that protrude from the end surface (26), and are arranged on both sides of the rear end portion of the locking arm (28); and a cover portion (41) that is provided across the pair of side portions (39) so as to cover the rear end portion of the locking arm (28) from the opposite side from the end surface (26). In a top surface (42) of the cover portion (41) that is on the opposite side from the surface facing the the locking arm (28), step portions (43, 44) are formed oriented toward the rear side.

Description

connector

The present disclosure relates to a connector.

The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a lock arm formed on the upper wall of the housing, a pair of plate-shaped support walls arranged with the rear end of the lock arm sandwiched therebetween, and each plate-shaped support wall. A connecting part is installed on the support wall and covers a part of the rear end of the lock arm. A lock operation space is formed at the rear end of the connecting portion.

The connector described in Patent Document 2 includes a housing, a lock arm formed on the upper surface of the housing, an upper surface side protection part that covers the rear end of the lock arm from above, and a rear end of the lock arm that can be viewed from both left and right sides. It has a pair of side protection parts that cover.

In Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the rear end portion of the lock arm is configured as an operation section (referred to as a "lock operation section" in Patent Document 1). The operator can release the fitting between the housing and the mating housing by pressing the top surface of the operating section with his or her finger.

A lock arm having such an operation part is also disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique that includes a second lock protection wall that covers the base end side of the lock arm to improve workability. Patent Document 4 discloses a technique for increasing the collision sound (referred to as "fitting sound" in Patent Document 4) that occurs when the lock arm elastically returns. This fitting sound is generated when the lock arm, which returns elastically, hits the wall surface of the mating housing when the housing and the mating housing reach the proper mating position.

JP 2021-190298 Publication JP2020-57578A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-66030 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-158417

In the case of Patent Document 1, when fitting the housing and the mating housing, the operator's finger accidentally contacts the top surface of the operating part through the lock operation space, and the housing is not properly connected with the operating part being pushed down. The mating position could be reached. In this way, even if the operator's finger leaves the operating portion after the housing reaches the fitted position, the lock arm cannot elastically return with an appropriate elastic reaction force. For this reason, there was a concern that the above-mentioned fitting sound would become small and auditory detection, which is a guide to fitting, would no longer function.

On the other hand, in the case of Patent Document 2, since the upper surface side protection part covered the rear end of the lock arm from above, it was possible to avoid the operator's fingers coming into contact with the rear end of the lock arm. Therefore, in the case of Patent Document 2, it was possible to generate a fitting sound. However, if an operator tries to fit the housing and the mating housing by placing his/her fingers on the top surface of the top side protection part, the fingers will slip on the top side of the top side protection part, making it difficult to proceed smoothly with the work. There was a possibility that it would not be possible.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can appropriately generate a fitting sound and can further smoothly proceed with the fitting operation.

The connector of the present disclosure includes a housing that fits into a mating housing, and the housing extends from the front end to the rear end in the mating direction with the mating housing, and is elastically deformable in a transverse direction that intersects the mating direction. a lock arm that is locked to the mating housing; an end face that is disposed opposite to the rear end portion of the lock arm in the cross direction; and a lock arm that protrudes from the end face; a pair of side parts disposed on both sides of the rear end of the lock arm; and a cover part installed over the pair of side parts and covering the rear end of the lock arm from the opposite side of the end surface. , a step portion facing rearward and formed on a top surface of the cover portion opposite to a surface facing the lock arm.

According to the present disclosure, a connector is provided that can appropriately generate a fitting sound and further allows the fitting operation to proceed smoothly.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector viewed diagonally from above and from the front in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the housing as viewed diagonally from above and behind. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the housing. FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the housing that includes an operating section and a cover section.

[Description of embodiments of the present disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.
The connector of the present disclosure includes:
(1) A housing that fits into the mating housing, the housing extends from the front end to the rear end in the mating direction with the mating housing, and is elastically deformable in a direction crossing the mating direction, a lock arm that is locked to the mating housing; an end face that is arranged opposite to the rear end portion of the lock arm in the cross direction; and a lock arm that is protruded from the end face; a pair of side parts disposed on both sides of the rear end of the lock arm; a cover part that spans the pair of side parts and covers the rear end of the lock arm from the opposite side of the end surface; A stepped portion facing rearward is formed on the top surface of the portion opposite to the surface facing the lock arm.
According to the above configuration, when fitting the housing and the mating housing, by placing the operator's fingers on the top surface of the cover, the operator's fingers are prevented from coming into contact with the rear end of the lock arm. can. As a result, the lock arm can be prevented from being elastically deformed inadvertently, and when the housing reaches the proper fitting position, the lock arm can properly elastically return and generate a predetermined fitting sound. Moreover, since the stepped portion prevents fingers from slipping when pushing the housing into the mating housing, the fitting operation can be performed smoothly.

(2) The rear end portion of the lock arm is disposed at a position farther from the end surface than a portion of the lock arm other than the rear end portion, and the cover portion Preferably, the lock arm is formed to cover the entire rear end portion of the lock arm.
According to the above configuration, it becomes easier to place the operator's fingers on the top surface of the cover, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the operator's fingers from coming into contact with the rear end of the lock arm.

(3) A plurality of the step portions may be formed on the top surface of the cover portion in a line in the fitting direction.
According to the above configuration, the plurality of stepped portions can function more effectively as a finger slip prevention device.

(4) The step portion may be formed in a trapezoid or U shape when viewed from the opposite side of the end surface.
According to the above configuration, when the worker's fingers are placed on the top surface of the cover, the fingers can be placed along the trapezoidal or U-shaped stepped portion, so a large amount of hooking distance for the fingers on the stepped portion is provided. be able to. As a result, the trapezoidal or U-shaped stepped portion can function more effectively as a finger slip prevention.

(5) A plurality of the stepped portions are arranged on the top surface of the cover portion in the fitting direction, each having a trapezoidal or U-shape when viewed from the opposite side of the end surface, and are formed in a ripple shape as a whole. Good to have.
According to the above configuration, the plurality of trapezoidal or U-shaped step portions can function more effectively as a finger slip prevention device. Moreover, since each stepped portion is formed in a ripple shape as a whole, it is easy to recognize it as a portion to which a finger is applied.

(6) The rear end portion of the lock arm may have a groove portion on a surface facing the cover portion that slopes away from the cover portion toward the rear side.
According to the above configuration, when the housing is in the normal fitting position, the lock arm can be elastically deformed in the unlocking direction by placing a jig or the like along the groove at the rear end of the lock arm. Therefore, even if the rear end of the lock arm is covered by the cover, the fitting between the housing and the mating housing can be properly released.

[Details of embodiments of the present disclosure]
Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this example, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

<Embodiment 1>
The connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a terminal fitting 80, a housing 20, and a retainer 90. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 20 can be fitted into a mating housing 100. In the following description, in the front-rear direction, the side where the housing 20 fits into the mating housing 100, specifically, the side where the housing 20 faces the mating housing 100 at the start of fitting is referred to as the front side. The left side of FIG. 2 is the front side. The vertical direction is based on the vertical direction of each figure. This vertical direction does not necessarily coincide with the direction of gravity when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction in FIG. 4. In FIG. 1, symbols X, Y, and Z indicate the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction, respectively. Furthermore, in the following description, a front end portion means a front side portion including the front end, and a rear end portion means a rear side portion including the rear end.

(terminal fitting)
The terminal fitting 80 is integrally formed by bending a conductive metal plate. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal fitting 80 has an elongated shape in the front-back direction, has a connecting portion 81 at the front end, and has a barrel portion 82 at the rear end. The connecting portion 81 has a rectangular tube shape, receives the tab 181 of the mating terminal fitting 180 attached to the mating housing 100, and is electrically connected to the mating terminal fitting 180. The barrel portion 82 is crimped onto the end portion of the electric wire W and is electrically and mechanically connected to the electric wire W.

(housing)
The housing 20 is made of synthetic resin, and, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, has a housing body 21 that is rectangular in plan view and is long in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing body 21 has a plurality of cavities 22 extending in the front-rear direction. A lance 23 is formed to protrude from the inner wall of each cavity 22. The terminal fitting 80 is inserted into the cavity 22 from the rear side, and is temporarily prevented from coming off by the housing body 21 by locking the connecting portion 81 with the lance 23. The electric wire W is pulled out from the cavity 22 of the housing body 21 to the rear side.

The housing main body 21 has a retainer mounting hole 24 that opens across the left and right side surfaces and the bottom surface of the housing main body 21 in the middle part in the front-rear direction. Each cavity 22 is divided into front and rear parts inside the housing body 21 via a retainer mounting hole 24 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 1, the housing main body 21 has a projecting wall 25 formed from an upper front end to left and right front ends. The front surface 21A of the housing body 21 is arranged at a front-rear position corresponding to the rear end of the projecting wall 25 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the housing body 21 is configured as an end surface 26 facing upward. The end surface 26 of the housing body 21 has a concave surface 27 that is recessed one step from both sides in the left-right direction, in the middle portion in the left-right direction. The housing 20 has a locking arm 28 projecting from the concave surface 27 of the housing body 21. The lock arm 28 includes a pair of arm bodies 29 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and a connecting portion 31 connected to the rear end of each arm body 29.

Each arm body 29 has a plate shape extending in the front-rear direction and is arranged parallel to each other. The front end of each arm main body 29 is connected to the upper front end of the concave surface 27 of the housing main body 21 and constitutes a part of the projecting wall 25. The lock arms 28 are elastically deformable in the vertical direction using the front end portions of the respective arm bodies 29 as fulcrums. A lock protrusion 32 is formed on the upper surface of each arm body 29 to protrude. As shown in FIG. 2, the lock protrusion 32 fits into the lock hole 111 formed in the hood portion 110 of the mating housing 100, thereby maintaining the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 in a fitted state. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the connecting portion 31 has a rib shape extending in the left-right direction, and its left-right ends are connected to the rear ends of each arm body 29, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lock arm 28 has an operating portion 33 that projects upward from the connecting portion 31. The operating section 33 includes leg sections 34 that stand up briefly from a plurality of locations spaced apart in the left-right direction in the connecting section 31, three locations in the illustrated case, and an operating main body 35 connected to the upper end of each leg section 34. It is composed of

Each leg portion 34 is arranged at a position corresponding to each arm body 29 and a position corresponding to between each arm body 29 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the rear surface of the leg portion 34 has a slope shape that slopes rearward upward. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation main body 35 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction, and has left-right end portions and a middle portion connected to the upper end of the connecting portion 31, respectively. The upper surface of the operation main body 35 is arranged at a position one step higher than the upper surfaces of each arm main body 29 and the connecting portion 31, and serves as a facing surface 36 that faces a cover portion 41, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the rear end of the operation main body 35 is formed thicker than the front end of the operation main body 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end portion of the operation main body 35 has a notch-shaped groove portion 37 in the middle portion of the opposing surface 36 in the left-right direction. The groove portion 37 is formed on the opposing surface 36 of the rear end portion of the operating body 35, and has a constant width in the left-right direction, and has a slope shape that slopes downward toward the rear side, as shown in FIG.

The housing 20 has a flange portion 38 that protrudes from the rear end of the housing body 21 over the entire circumference. As shown in FIG. 4, the flange portion 38 has a rectangular outer shape with chamfered square portions when viewed from the rear.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 20 has a pair of side portions 39 on both left and right sides of the operating portion 33 of the lock arm 28, which cover the operating portion 33 from the sides. Each side portion 39 projects from the end surface 26 of the housing body 21 and has a rear end portion integrated with the flange portion 38 . Each side portion 39 has a tapered shape that reduces the distance from each other toward the front in plan view.

The housing 20 has a cover portion 41 connected to the upper end of each side portion 39 and installed over each side portion 39 . A rear end portion of the cover portion 41 is integrated with the flange portion 38. The cover portion 41 has a trapezoidal or U-shaped outer shape that becomes narrower toward the front in plan view.

The front end and rear end of the cover portion 41 are arranged along the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the front end of the cover portion 41 is arranged at a position overlapping each arm body 29 in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the cover portion 41 is arranged at the same position as the rear end of the housing body 21 in the front-rear direction.

The cover portion 41 is located above the operating portion 33 and is arranged to cover the operating portion 33 from above. In other words, the cover portion 41 is disposed to face the entire opposing surface 36 of the operating portion 33 with a space therebetween. The entire operation section 33 is covered by the cover section 41 when the housing 20 is viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the cover portion 41 is a top surface 42 on which the operator's finger F is applied when the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 are fitted together. A plurality of

step portions

43 and 44 are formed on the top surface 42 of the cover portion 41. Each

step portion

43, 44 is arranged facing the rear side. As shown in FIG. 5, each

step portion

43, 44 has a curved surface that is inclined forward in the vertical direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, each

step portion

43, 44 has a trapezoidal or U-shape in plan view, and includes a straight portion 45 extending in the left-right direction and a pair of straight portions 45 that increase the distance from each other toward the rear side. It has an inclined part 46. The front end of each inclined portion 46 and the left and right ends of each straight portion 45 are connected via corner portions 47 that are curved in plan view. The rear end of each inclined portion 46 is located at the rear end of the cover portion 41. Each of the

step portions

43 and 44 has an external shape similar to that of the cover portion 41, and has a ripple shape as a whole when viewed from above.

In the case of the first embodiment, each

step portion

43, 44 includes a first step portion 43 and a second step portion 44. The straight portion 45 of the first stepped portion 43 is disposed further forward than the straight portion 45 of the second stepped portion 44 . The corner portion 47 of the second step portion 44 has a radius of curvature larger than that of the corner portion 47 of the first step portion 43 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a third flat surface 48 is formed on the top surface 42 of the cover portion 41 on the rear side of the second step portion 44, and a third flat surface 48 is formed on the top surface 42 of the cover portion 41. A second flat surface 49 is formed between them, and a first flat surface 51 is formed on the front side of the first stepped portion 43 . The first flat surface 51, the second flat surface 49, and the third flat surface 48 are all arranged facing upward and are formed flat along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

The second flat surface 49 is arranged at a position one step higher than the third flat surface 48 with the second step portion 44 interposed therebetween. The first flat surface 51 is disposed at a position one step higher than the second flat surface 49 with the first stepped portion 43 interposed therebetween. The first step portion 43 is arranged at a position one step higher than the second step portion 44 via the second flat surface 49 . Briefly, as shown in FIG. 5, the top surface 42 of the cover part 41 is formed in the shape of an upward staircase toward the front side in a cross-sectional view of the housing 20.

(retainer)
The retainer 90 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 2, it includes a retainer body 91, a front mask portion 92, and a pair of side walls 93 (only one is shown in FIG. 1). There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the retainer main body 91 has a square block shape and is inserted inside the retainer mounting hole 24. The retainer body 91 has a plurality of through holes 94 that communicate with each cavity 22 and a plurality of retaining portions 95 that secondarily prevent each terminal fitting 80 from coming off.

The front mask part 92 has a plate shape and is arranged to face the front surface 21A of the housing main body 21. The front mask portion 92 has a plurality of tab insertion holes 96 that communicate with each cavity 22 . A tab 181 of a mating terminal fitting 180 is inserted into each tab insertion hole 96 from the front. The retainer 90 is assembled to the housing body 21 from below. The front mask portion 92 is abutted against the projecting wall 25 from below.

(Operation of connector)
When the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 are fitted together, the housing 20 is pushed forward toward the mating housing 100. Due to the mounting environment of the connector 10, an operator may be forced to grasp the housing 20 from both the upper and lower sides when performing the fitting operation. Here, since the operating section 33 of the lock arm 28 is arranged on the end surface 26 of the housing main body 21, there is a concern that the operator's finger may touch the operating section 33 and the operating section 33 may be pushed down unexpectedly. . On the other hand, in the case of the first embodiment, the cover section 41 is disposed above the operation section 33 so as to cover the entire operation section 33 . Therefore, when performing the fitting operation, it is possible to reliably achieve a state in which the finger F is applied to the cover portion 41, as shown in FIG. In this way, the operator can perform the fitting operation by, for example, placing his thumb on the cover part 41 and his index finger on the lower end of the flange part 38. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operating section 33 from being pressed down by the operator's fingers F during the fitting operation.

In the fitting process of the housing 20, the lock protrusion 32 interferes with the hood part 110 of the mating housing 100, so that the lock arm 28 is elastically deformed, and the operating part 33 is moved downward so as to approach the end surface 26 of the housing body 21. Displaced to. Here, fitting resistance occurs due to interference between the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 and contact between the terminal fitting 80 and the mating terminal fitting 180. As shown in FIG. 2, the operator can press the

step portions

43 and 44 formed on the top surface 42 of the cover portion 41 from behind with a finger F against the fitting resistance. Therefore, the fitting operation can be carried out without the fingers F slipping on the top surface 42 of the cover part 41. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, since each

step portion

43, 44 is trapezoidal or U-shaped in plan view, the finger F can be widely applied along each

step portion

43, 44. Each of the stepped

portions

43 and 44 effectively functions as a non-slippery for the finger F.

After that, when the housing 20 reaches the normal fitting position, the lock arm 28 elastically returns, and the lock protrusion 32 fits into the lock hole 111. At the same time, each arm body receives the elastic reaction force of the lock arm 28. 29 hits the inner wall (wall surface) of the hood portion 110 to generate a fitting sound. By hearing this fitting sound, the operator can determine that the housing 20 has reached the proper fitting position. In other words, the operator can hear the fitted state of the connector 10.

When the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 are separated from each other due to reasons such as maintenance, it is necessary to elastically deform the lock arm 28 in the unlocking direction in which the lock protrusion 32 comes out of the lock hole 111. Normally, the operator can elastically deform the lock arm 28 in the unlocking direction by pressing the opposing surface 36, which is the upper surface of the operating section 33, from above with a finger. However, in the case of the first embodiment, since the cover portion 41 is disposed above the operating portion 33 so as to cover the entire operating portion 33, the operator's finger is placed on the opposing surface 36 of the operating portion 33. Although it is difficult to do so, a groove 37 is formed in the opposing surface 36 of the operating portion 33 so that the groove portion 37 slopes downward toward the rear side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, by inserting the jig 200 from behind between the operating section 33 and the cover section 41 and aligning the jig 200 along the groove section 37, the lock arm 28 is moved in the unlocking direction. It can be elastically deformed. This makes it possible to separate the housing 20 from the mating housing 100.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 are fitted together, the operator can lock the housing by placing the finger F on the top surface 42 of the cover part 41. It is possible to prevent the finger F from coming into contact with the rear end of the arm 28. As a result, the lock arm 28 can be prevented from being inadvertently elastically deformed, and when the housing 20 reaches the proper mating position, the lock arm 28 can properly elastically return and generate a predetermined mating sound. Can be done. Furthermore, when the housing 20 is pushed into the mating housing 100, the stepped

portions

43 and 44 prevent the fingers F from slipping, so that the fitting operation can be performed smoothly.

In addition, in the first embodiment, since the worker's fingers F can be placed along each of the trapezoidal or U-shaped stepped

portions

43 and 44 that protrude forward, the amount of catching of the fingers F on the stepped

portions

43 and 44 is reduced. It can be made large and can effectively function as a non-slippery for the fingers F. Moreover, since each

step portion

43, 44 is formed in a ripple shape as a whole, it is easy to recognize the portion to which the finger F is applied.

Furthermore, even if the operation section 33 is covered with the cover section 41, by placing the jig 200 along the groove 37 of the operation section 33, the housing 20 and the mating housing 100 can be properly fitted. It becomes possible to cancel the request.

[Other embodiments of the present disclosure]
Embodiment 1 disclosed herein above should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.
In the case of the first embodiment, a plurality of step portions are formed on the top surface of the operating portion. On the other hand, according to another embodiment, only one stepped portion may be formed on the top surface of the operating portion.
In the case of Embodiment 1, the stepped portion is formed into a trapezoid or U-shape in plan view by the straight portion and the pair of inclined portions. On the other hand, according to another embodiment, the entire step portion may be a straight portion and may be formed linearly in a plan view. Alternatively, the entire stepped portion may be formed in a curved shape when viewed from above.
In the case of the first embodiment, the lock arm is configured to elastically deform using the front end portion connected to the upper surface of the housing body as a fulcrum. On the other hand, according to another embodiment, the lock arm has a pair of support arms that are formed to protrude in the middle in the front-rear direction and are connected to each side, and is elastically deformed in a seesaw shape using each support arm as a fulcrum. It is also possible to have a configuration in which:
In the case of Embodiment 1, the lock arm had a pair of arm bodies spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. On the other hand, according to another embodiment, the lock arm may have one arm body that extends across the entire width in the left and right direction.
In the case of the first embodiment, the lock arm is elastically deformed in the unlocking direction by placing the jig along the groove of the operating section. On the other hand, according to another embodiment, for example, when the connector is a large connector, the lock arm may be elastically deformed in the unlocking direction by placing the fingertip along the groove of the operating section.

10...Connector 20...Housing 21...Housing body 21A...Front surface 22...Cavity 23...Lance 24...Retainer attachment hole 25...Protruding wall 26...End face 27...Concave surface 28...Lock arm 29...Arm body 31...Connection part 32...Lock protrusion 33...Operation section 34...Legs 35...Operation body 36...Opposing surface 37...Groove section 38...Flange section 39...Side section 41...Cover section 42...Top surface 43...First step section (step section)
44...Second step part (step part)
45... Straight part 46... Inclined part 47... Corner part 48... Third flat surface 49... Second flat surface 51... First flat surface 80... Terminal fitting 81... Connection part 82... Barrel part 90... Retainer 91... Retainer main body 92 ...Front mask part 93...Side wall 94...Through hole 95...Removal prevention part 96...Tab insertion hole 100...Mating housing 110...Hood part 111...Lock hole 180...Mating terminal fitting 181...Tab 200...Jig F...Finger W... Electrical wire

Claims

Equipped with a housing that fits into the mating housing,
The housing includes:
a lock arm that extends from a front end to a rear end in a direction of fitting with the mating housing, is elastically deformable in a cross direction intersecting the fitting direction, and is locked to the mating housing;
an end face disposed opposite in the cross direction to a rear end portion including the rear end of the lock arm;
a pair of side parts protruding from the end surface and arranged on both sides of the rear end of the lock arm;
a cover part that is installed on the pair of side parts and covers the rear end part of the lock arm from the opposite side of the end surface;
a step portion facing rearward and formed on a top surface of the cover portion opposite to the surface facing the lock arm;
It has a connector.
The rear end of the lock arm is located further away from the end surface than a portion of the lock arm other than the rear end,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is formed to cover the entire rear end portion of the lock arm when viewed from the opposite side of the end surface.
The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the step portions are formed on the top surface of the cover portion in a row in the fitting direction.
The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stepped portion is formed in a trapezoid or U shape when viewed from the opposite side of the end surface.
A plurality of the stepped portions are arranged on the top surface of the cover portion in the fitting direction, each having a trapezoidal or U-shape when viewed from the opposite side of the end surface, and is formed in a ripple shape as a whole. The connector according to claim 1 or claim 2.
According to claim 1 or claim 2, the rear end portion of the lock arm has a groove portion on a surface facing the cover portion that slopes away from the cover portion as it goes toward the rear side. Connector listed.